Open Hearts, Open Hands
by merdarkandtwisty
Summary: After losing his wife and unborn child Emmett Cullen never thought he'd love again. Bella Swan might just be the person that will show him that loving again is okay, it doesn't mean forgetting the people you lost
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Twilight

He'd met her a time or two, he couldn't remember the specifics he just knew he'd met her. Before, before his whole world had exploded upon him. Before he'd lost himself in the swirl of grief that even after almost two years didn't seem to be letting up.

He watched her laughing with his sister as the two women piled her things into the house. Wedding fever was upon the Cullen house hold and wasn't going to be letting up soon. She would just be the first of the guest to arrive.

He wished he could escape, run away, and hide. Wasn't that what he was already doing though? Hiding, hiding from the life he led before, before everything fell apart into thousands of fractured pieces that he could never put back together again.

He couldn't go back to the house they'd once shared, and he didn't want to be here, around the happy couple. Or couples if he counted his brother and his brother's girlfriend. He didn't begrudge them their happiness, far from it. He just couldn't see it without wanting to curl up into a ball and never come out.

It had been almost two years but it felt like just yesterday, in a split second he'd went from having everything, a wife a career a baby on the way, to having nothing. His wife and baby gone. His career well not gone pushed aside in his grief.

Angela, her name still rang in his head and heart. Her ghost still haunted him to this day. Around every corner, in every dream. His sweet wife. The women he thought he'd spend the rest of his life with. The women he'd fallen in love with at the tender age of fourteen. But life was cruel and it wasn't to be.

He'd finally gotten himself back on track at work. His studio was opened again. He was making hand crafted furniture again, but still, it wasn't right. She wasn't there at the end of the day. The baby that should have been born was never given a chance. One patch of ice. One tree, one moment. All gone. She was only thirty too young to go. Too young to leave him.

"Oh I'm sorry." He was pulled out of the past by the soft voice. It was her. Bella Swan. Best friend to his baby sister. Her voice was soft, the sun beamed off her mahogany hair. She smiled at him and he felt his stomach drop. When she smiled he felt his world tilt, tilt in a way it hadn't in a long time. Tilt in a way he never wanted it to again.

"It's fine." He moved away from her. He was sure she thought him rude. Almost running from her into the house up to his room locking the door behind him. He sat there in that room by himself. The way he liked it anymore. "Oh Angela." He sighed looking at the picture he kept on his bedside table. The only thing not under lock and key. "I miss you." He picked up the picture and traced her face. The face he missed so much. He put the picture down and laid on the bed. Maybe, hopefully. He could get some sleep.

Images of Angela drifted with images of Bella in his mind.

OHOH-OHOH- OHOH-OHOH-

Bella watched him go. She shook her head and sighed. "He's not getting any better is he?" she turned to Alice who was coming out onto the porch.

"NO, he still won't go to their house. Mom and dad have offered to get it cleared for him. Maybe hoping he'll sell I don't know, but he refuses he says no one else besides him can touch what's in there." She shook her head. "He's been staying here since it happened. I just don't know. I want the brother I knew back. I know that's selfish and I know he'll never be the same but still…" she trailed off.

"Enough sadness for now though we have a bridesmaid dress to try on come one. Rose's is already fitted. She said mentioning her other brothers long term girlfriend. Alice pulled Bella into the house and up the stairs. Bella gasped when she saw the dress hanging Alice's closet.

"It's amazing Ali."

"Why thank you." Alice took down the light green gown and handed it over. "When we're done here we are so talking about Love in the Gazebo. Can anyone say hot? But shh don't tell my mom you wrote it she'll be hounding you for pictures and autographs she's already pre ordered the next in the series and I'm sure every other book you may come up with in the future."

"I guess it's a good thing I write under a pen name then huh." Bella joked taking the gown and trying it on.

"Perfect. I just need to fix a few things here, and here." Alice pinned what needed to be fixed. "You can change back now." A few moments later Alice took the dress from Bella and hung it back up. "I'll fix it later. You are coming out with us tonight right"

"Of course."

"Great well let me get you to your room. It's across from Emmett's but he shouldn't bother you he hardly comes out of his room and if he is he's in his studio. Dad sat one up at the end of the property for him. I'm surprised he came out earlier. Here you are." Alice pushed open a door revealing a spacious room.

"It's great Ali thank you "

"No thank you I know you had to rearrange your book tour for this."

"I wouldn't have it any other way Alice. You know that it's been me and you since sophomore year of College even though I'm in Florida and you're here in Washington."

"Well hey you can write anywhere move here."

Bella just chuckled but she thought about it. Her father was in Washington her mother was busy with her new husband why not Washington she' d have to give it some more thought.

She unpacked and headed to the bathroom. Passing the door she knew Emmett was behind she stopped and wondered about the man. Her heart breaking for all the tragedy he'd been though and at such a young age. She wanted to stop, she wanted to knock but she didn't she passed the room without knocking. Finding herself back in her room a short time later she laid down for a short nap. Images of Emmett running through her mind.

A/N so this is Emmett and Bella and angsty and such. So review and tell me what you think. Also for this story Bella looks like Sophia bush which is why the banner has Sophia Bush on it.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own twilight

Bella woke up from her nap and looking at the clock she realized she had time before she had to get ready to go out with Alice and the others. She pulled out her laptop and started to write a draft of her next book. Love in the Corn Field.

The hero of this book was the twin of the hero in Gazebo. She was so lost in the world she'd spun for herself she didn't hear the knock on the door. Saving her place she got up and opened it surprised to find Emmett on the other side.

"Oh hi." Bella wasn't sure why he was there.

"I was just going to take a shower and I wanted to make sure you didn't need to get in there first."

"Oh, no I'm fine." Bella said giving him a small smile. He just nodded walking away as she closed the door. She decided it was time to start to get ready to go out. She changed her outfit and did her hair. She walked past the bathroom steam still coming out of it which meant Emmett hadn't left it long before. Her mind wandered to the man, she knew his story in as much as Alice had told her, she'd met him a few times, she even remembered meeting is wife. Angela yes she was sure her name had been Angela.

She hadn't been back to the Cullen's part of the country for years though with her book tours taking up all her time. Her and Alice had caught up on occasion, and Alice and her had many late night phone calls in which Alice poured out her heart about the worry she held for her brother.

Emmett, she thought of how he was the few times she'd met him before and she thought of him now. He was so haunted, it was all in the eyes. His eyes used to sparkle. She remembered that distinctly. Now it was like ghost lived in them. The pain was so raw, so intense it hurt to even look at them. She took a deep breath shaking her head and trying to clear the worrisome thoughts from them.

"Hey you ready to go?"

"Yeah," Bella said looking towards where Alice had just came up the stairs.

"You okay?"

"Hmm."

"Are you okay, you look a little pale?"

"Oh yeah I'm fine I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Oh it doesn't matter." Bella waved away her friends concern.

"If you're sure." Alice looked at her critically, "I'm here if you want to talk though."

"Oh Allie I know that." Bella leaned over and hugged her. "Tonight's about you though so let's go and have some fun."

"Yes Fun." Alice squealed, "We're meeting Rose and Edward at the restaurant and Jasper is in the car right now." Bella bit her lip wondering if she should ask about Emmett. Alice seemed able to sense her question. "He wouldn't go even if we asked. " She shook her head sadly and then pasted a smile on her face.

"Well lets get going then." Bella pulled her friend along and they hopped into the car with Jasper behind the wheel. Half an hour later they were at the Restaurant and meeting up with Edward and his girlfriend Rosalie.

"Bella this is Rosalie Hale, Rose this is my best friend Bella."

"it's nice to meet you." The blond smiled and Bella nodded her head "It's nice to meet you also Rose." They settled into a table and wedding talk swirled around them. Of course the two guys quickly snuck away to the bar not caring about flower arrangements or thee color of the napkins.

OHOH OHOH OHOH OHOH OHOH OHOH OHOH OHOH OHOH OHOH OHOH

Emmett had heard them leave of course he had he'd heard his sister talking to Bella about him, about how he wouldn't go even if they asked him and he felt horrible he knew he was dragging his family down into his depression. He wished he could pull himself out of it to be happy for his sister and Jasper he really did, but looking at them just remembered him of everything he'd lost. The things he'd never have.

It made him remember his own wedding and then where the memories should be sweet they just broke his heart even more into hundreds of little pieces. Memories of planning the wedding with Angela. Memories of seeing her walk down the aisle on her daddy's arm. The first kiss as husband and wife. Their first days, months, years. The positive pregnancy test, the glow the happiness. For three months they planned for the baby, then it had all disappeared into a nightmare.

What would life be like now if Angela had lived, if the baby had lived? They'd have a toddler running around. Would it have been a boy they were going to name him Benjamin after her grandfather a girl would have been Eleanor a bit of a nod to his mother, but he'd never know and that alone would haunt him.

And she was gone to gone to the world, and he wondered if she was up there watching over him holding their child and he wished for a second if only a tiny one that he'd been in that car with her that night. That she had stayed over at her friends instead of trying to brave the roads. He wished he had insisted but he knew that all that wishing wasn't going to change anything now.

He also felt something different though. He couldn't or wouldn't place it but when he looked at Bella he felt alive again for the first time since he'd learned of the fate of his family. "No" he told himself shaking his head. "I won't I can't. I won't put myself through that again" He sighed leaving the room his mind a confusing clash of what he wanted and what he was willing to allow himself to have.


End file.
